clean bomb
- noun
- /klin bɑm/
- Archaic
:
bomba limpia
- Some military experts argue that a clean bomb could be used to limit collateral damage while still achieving strategic goals.
Examples
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After the test, scientists reported that the clean bomb produced far less fallout than earlier nuclear devices.
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The development of the clean bomb was seen as a response to concerns about long-term radioactive contamination.
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The military developed a new clean bomb for tactical use.
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Many experts debate the ethics of using a clean bomb.
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Scientists are researching clean bombs that minimize radioactive fallout after detonation.
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The military is considering the use of clean bombs for tactical operations in populated areas.
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The idea of a clean bomb was to create powerful explosives with less environmental impact.
Synonyms
634
3.5
A very powerful bomb that uses energy from splitting or joining atoms
148
7.6
A very powerful bomb that uses nuclear energy
66
2.3
A very powerful weapon that splits atoms to make a huge explosion and destroy large areas
32
3.0
A very powerful weapon that splits atoms to release huge energy
16
3.0
A very powerful weapon that splits atoms to cause a huge explosion
11
3.5
A very powerful explosive that uses energy from splitting or joining atoms to destroy things
Antonyms
- NSFW
10
7.7
A weapon that explodes and spreads radioactive material to contaminate an area, not a nuclear bomb
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase is compositionally interpretable as 'a bomb that is "clean" or causes little contamination', so a learner who knows 'clean' and 'bomb' can grasp the general idea. However, the specific technical sense—an atomic weapon engineered to minimize radioactive fallout—is specialized and not fully predictable from everyday senses, making the expression only partially transparent.
Etymology
Clean bomb got its name in early atomic tests when scientists tried to make a clean bomb that did not leave dangerous dirt. Because these devices left much less radioactive 'fallout' than normal bombs, people called them 'clean', so today clean bomb means 'a bomb that produces very little radioactive contamination'.